Take The Lead Dance Studio 320 Lantana Drive, Hockessin, DE 19707

"I love this place! My sister and I started back in June 2023 with Joe as our instructor for Salsa and we've been going since. For the past month we've had Kristin and Alexs as our Salsa 1-2 instructors and they've truly done an amazing job not only teaching the steps and choreography of each lesson, but also creating a nice welcoming atmosphere. I'm continuously spreading the word and am so happy to have found a place I not only have tons of fun, but also feel part of an amazing community."

"You absolutely can’t go wrong with this dance studio. It has always been on my bucket list to learn salsa and bachata and I finally took the leap and signed up for classes. I started 2 months ago taking 1 class a week and love it so much I now take 5 classes a week. Both instructors and students make the experience so comfortable. Everyone is super friendly and treats you like family. It’s not uncommon for classmates to get drinks and/or food in between or before/after classes or socials. Kristen and Alex that teach the salsa 1/2 and bachata 1 classes are so patient and knowledgeable. They make you feel completely at ease even when you fumble. Joe that teaches the intermediate/advanced salsa/bachata classes is one of the best there is. Your head may be in a tailspin leaving his class, but all instructors allow you to record the demonstration at the end of class so you can go home, practice, and return to the next class able to flawlessly execute the moves. If a group class isn’t your cup of tea, they also offer private lessons. I am taking private lessons with Kristen and it has improved my technique tremendously. If you are on the fence at all, take the class, you won’t regret it."

"UPDATE on Salsa classes, skip to end for overview review: The Monday and Wednesday Salsa classes have now been taken up by two new, young and super enthusiastic instructors, I believe trained by Joe Figueroa himself (who is still teaching the advanced salsa classes), Alexs and Kristin. I was lucky to meet Alexs as an assistant instructor in Joe's last Salsa 1 class, he is very helpful and always stayed after class with me and my partner to help us work out the kinks of certain steps. He is the first person who spontaneously asked me to dance and helped me find my way into Salsa as a dance and art, not just a bunch of steps. In social parties it's really wonderful to see and dance with him, he can easily adapt to my level and he is also a wonderful and approachable teacher. Kristin, it took me some time to meet her, since I only took the Monday classes. She is an amazing dancer herself, her movements are so natural as if she were born Salsa/Bachta dancing! She is also a really great teacher, it's so easily to understand my mistakes when she is teaching, and her switch from lead to follow and back is so incredible! Together these guys have been doing a wonderful job with the Salsa classes. I have not tried the Bachata class but I know the above-mentioned can be extrapolated to that as well. I highly recommend them!! **************************************"" OVERALL REVIEW If you are always looking for fun activities to do in DE and are constantly disappointed for not finding much, look no further. This dance studio is absolutely amazing. I found them through Google search and contacted Peter, the owner. He was beyond kind in helping me figure out what kind of class we should take, and after a lot of emailing back and forth we took their "intro to social dancing" (by we I mean me, my partner and a couple friend of ours) which was truly helpful in us actually understanding what it is to dance with another person in a social setting. We are Persian and we love to dance but in a very different way, in our parties you just dance by yourself near others. Which is fun but not nearly as fun as the social dances we learned about in Peter's class. After we finished that course we realized we loved Salsa the best, which is why we started taking Salsa 1 with Joe Figueroa (who is one of the best of the best in Salsa dancing) and have been having a blast meeting other dance enthusiasts. The place is beyond welcoming even if you know nothing about dancing or are too shy, and the social dances! If you love parties, those are the ones to be at. We just went to our first Latin social dance this previous Friday and it was amazing. An hour class to teach the basic moves, so even if you know no salsa, you'll be covered. And then all night dancing! It has been amazing and after watching so many other amazing dancers I am convinced I want to learn Bachata too! Peter, his wonderful wife and Luan are amazing in guiding you through what to do and which courses to take, and it has become such a favorite place for us to go to, almost like a second home. You can also always figure out things that don't work with your schedule, there is no rigidity in dance! For instance we had to miss some sessions and Peter kindly helped us with re-using those in another class. I think Take the Lead has been such a blessing in our lives, I look forward to our dance session all week. Cannot recommend more. Also, if you have doubts about your physical capabilities or some similar issues, you can always discuss it with Peter or the other owners/instructors. I have seen people age 60 and above dance amazingly in this studio and there is no limit to the joy."

"I started taking salsa classes here in July with Joe and it has been a great experience. In the fall I began additional lessons with Alexs who has helped build my confidence in both salsa and bachata. I'm currently taking classes with Alexs and Kristin and they are a great team. Together they build up their students making them feel comfortable and confident in their dancing skills. I feel like I have personal cheerleaders and I'm sure most students would say the same. I'm very grateful to all the instructors and the good vibes at the studio. I highly recommend salsa and bachata classes and look forward to one day exploring other styles."

"My husband and I took the group dance lessons taught by Peter and Brona for about a year before switching to private lessons with Brona. We always had so much fun at the dance lessons, and Brona helped with our choreography for our first wedding dance which our guests loved! We are so happy that we discovered Take the Lead Dance Studio, and we highly recommend the studio for group lessons and private lessons."